


Easy

by orphan_account



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 14:25:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18390218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What if they had met under different circumstances.





	Easy

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea that I ran with. This may be the last hoorah for me, have loved writing Kadena fic. Even now with the fates unknown, I still love them. Thank you all for reading this. xxx
> 
> All mistakes are mine.

The things we do for friends. Kat converses silently to herself.

Jane had lucked out with her apparent ‘viral infection’ and left it to Kat to chaperone Sutton’s date with… Brandon or was it Brent?

No woman left behind, she had been reminded.

The floor is sticky underneath the tan brown of her suede boots and she can't help but cringe every time she lifts her foot in place. Dingy is the most accurate word she would say to describe the venue. A steep flight of stairs descended down into the dark space, from the bright and airy upper-level Kat guessed was a restaurant during the day. The building, in general, was very inconspicuous, tucked between a laundromat and a florist, so much so that her driver had passed the building three times before she decided to get out of the car and look around on foot. The two adjacent storefronts were dark, long since closed as… 10:30 p.m. she notes looking at her phone. Kat took notice of a group of ‘artsy’ individuals – that was the politest thing she could say, milling around outside the building. The smoke billowing from their little huddle under an umbrella and the amber glow of their cigarette ends only added to the aesthetic.

Sutton had shown up not long after, quite surprised at Kat being punctual and arriving first. She was half listening to Sutton talk about… Bradley? was it Bradley? when they were directed by said gentleman following a brief introduction, to the back end of the main area. The further in they went, the more the strong bass reverberated up through the floor until they reached an unmarked door. A burly man stood between them and the door until acknowledging Sutton’s date and stepping aside. Kat had felt mild bemusement at the interaction and shook it off thanking the man as they passed him. She hadn’t received more than a huff from him in return. The had music swelled as they walked into the dim room.

The walls are painted in a matt black that made it feel all too claustrophobic with the number of people packed into the tiny space. There’s a bar on each end to divide up the traffic of patrons, skilled bartenders slinging drinks on each side. Kat notices a row of padded benches at the edge of the room. There’s a heat in the room, from warm bodies that makes her regret not paying for the cloakroom, but $20 dollars for just her jacket had her blinking at the attendant before forgoing the whole thing totally. So for now, fanning herself every once in a while would have to suffice.

And so she stands, leaning against the bar for a while waiting for the girl behind the bar to come back with her drink. Kat scans the room and sees Sutton at a booth, seemingly having a good time from where she can see her gripping Brad’s bicep. “Bradley, but only my mom calls me that” she now recalls. There was something in his demeanour she felt uneasy about, his clammy handshake and almost uncomfortable familiarity as soon as they had met. But he was Sutton’s type. Tall, fit enough, perfectly coifed hair and a little scruff on his cheeks. Bland. But otherwise harmless as far as she could tell. She had quickly grown bored of his friend talking to her and sitting a little too close when she had gone up to the bar.

Ever the supportive friend, in the wings on the off chance that Sutton needs a solid out should things go south with this guy; and a bit of goading to take a break from work she came out tonight. Kat was a self-aware workaholic and her life was uncomplicated because of it. Simple, just as she liked it. She had her work, her friends and every once in a while, a companion whenever she had a certain itch that needed scratching. Uncomplicated. Although others would say she had commitment issues, which was one thing hearing from your friends but then hearing it on the couch in your parents living room was something else.

She had always brushed it off in the past, but it was one of those things what was becoming harder to ignore. It wasn’t even that she wanted a relationship or all of the drama that came with it. It was more the idea of sharing herself with someone, knowing there was someone who wanted her wholly. “if you want to enjoy the rewards of being loved, you also have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.” And frankly fuck that. So any inclination she felt of things getting serious, she shut down and it was on to the next one.

 

Her drink appears just as soundcheck is finishing and the crowd quietens a little. Kat offers a quick nod as a thank you and shuffles through the small crowd gathered in front of the stage, as polite as she can be shouldering through, trying not to spill the contents of her cup on any innocent bystanders between the bar and the space she finds in the crowd. The stage had a pretty glow to it, she notices. There’s a bit of shuffling on the stage and a few introductions before the music kicks in.

Kat soon finds herself bopping along between sips of her overpriced beer, her body moving along to the rhythmic section. The song comes to an end and she does another scan of the crowd, trying but failing to locate Sutton when she sees her. She's clapping toward the stage, her intricate jewellery chinking along with the movement of her hands. Kat looks on a little longer mesmerised until the woman turns toward her, their eyes meeting. Kat quickly averts her gaze, flinching at having been caught staring. Her profile was very pretty but seeing her. The quick quirk in her full brow when she noticed Kat staring, the pout in her lips, her tongue peeking out wetting her lips before she smiled at Kat. Focusing back on the stage, Kat manages to finish her drink. -

Supporting each other when someone had a performance, or a showing was par for course for her group of friends. The same group had been at her opening the previous Friday and it was a nice excuse to get out, be around other creative people. Her short stay in New York was almost at an end and she would be returning to Paris in the coming week. The live music brought a reprieve from the monotony of working every day. Wake up. Go to the studio. Sleep. Repeat. As much as she loved her work seeing the same ash coloured walls in the rented space had gotten old very fast.

New York was… New York. She came for work and distraction.

She’s half listening to Adrienne talking in their little group when she notices her. Standing alone at the bar, leaning over the edge, likely to be heard over the loud chattering in the space. She smiles looking at the way her mouth moves, wide as if she was talking slowly near the other persons face, hands gesturing for emphasis. She watches the man nod to the woman before turning back to prepare her to drink.

There’s a feeling, an energy one feels when they are being stared at. As someone who was frequently stared at for one reason or another, Adena was usually able to tune it out. But not this time. She could feel a pair of eyes on her in her periphery and curiosity got the better of her.

A tall woman, as far as she could tell from across the crowd where she stood over a few people, had a look on her face she couldn’t quite place. She looked a little too long, lingered on her frame for more than could be seen as a polite glance. She had flinched when she realised, she had been caught, which Adena couldn’t help but smile at. There was a moment when their eyes met where Adena registered attraction. Her gaze had averted soon after with what Adena could only assume was a blush.

-  
The man hands her a $10 bill and her rum & coke smiling at her before moving on to the next patron. Fishing her phone from her pocket she shoots off a text checking in with Sutton. Kat looks up from her phone to see Sebastian from earlier. There’s an intonation to the way she says his name even in her head. “Hey, can I get you another,” He asks leaning close in her space a hand coming to wrap around her waist. She quite visibly flinches, not that he gets the hint.  
“No, I'm good for now.” She keeps her voice level through the smile she has is very tight.  
“Where did you go earlier, you kind of disappeared on me back there.”

Kat knows guys like this too well. She had grown up around them, known them in college. Entitled. Too friendly. She supposes he was good looking, but in a way, you could only see if you squinted long enough and were into the privileged dudebro aesthetic. He seemed nice enough but didn’t seem to notice her disinterest.

“Yeah, it was kind of a lot back there and I uh”…

“Hey.” A soft voice from over her shoulder interrupts. “I didn’t know you were coming.”  
It's the woman from earlier, smiling up at when she turns around. The glint in her eye makes it quite obvious this is her giving her an exit strategy. A hand comes up to caress Kat on her shoulder, gentle and not too invasive but convincing enough that they could be friends.  
“Yeah, a friend invited me.” Kat returns the smile, playing along.

“I'm sorry, who are you?” – oh right, he was still here. His body shifts closer to Kat in a show of dominance. Kat furrows when she thinks of this guy being threatened by this woman is that what’s going on. Her knight in a shining… hijab. Her lips press together in thought. ‘that’s okay to say right’.

The woman ignores him completely. “It's so good to see you.” Her acting is very convincing when she opens her arms for a hug, making quick eye contact with Kat as if to ask if it's okay. She leans into the hug, the soft cotton of the woman’s headscarf rubbing against her cheek. She has an accent Kat can’t quite place and a warmth that puts her at ease.

 

-  
She pulls the taller woman in for an embrace, leaning into the contact. From her position folded into her neck, she makes eye contact with the man over the woman’s shoulder. He gets the hint when he shifts on his feet, his arrogance quickly melting away. Her eye contact doesn’t break, not once, until he shuffles away, tail between his legs.

It was the way she had seen the woman flinch when he came up to her. The obvious discomfort on her features when he had leaned into her space. The tense smile she saw when he said something, she’s sure he thought was hilarious.  
They pull out of the embrace and the woman is smiling at her. “Are you okay?” Adena utters taking in the other woman’s more relaxed stance. Her shoulders fall as she sighs.  
“Yeah. Thanks for that. I was looking for an exit.”

“Well, I’m sure he won’t be bothering you again.”

There is an awkward moment where the woman just looks at her, not saying anything. “I’m Kat, Kat Edison.” The woman says extending her hand.

“Adena.” She takes the proffered hand, gripping and shaking firmly. Her hands are soft, adorned with delicate jewellery.

-

Conversation flows easily after that. They migrate to a booth in the corner after some fumbling from Kat. “Can I get you a drink?” Kat asks, leaning close to the other woman, talking over the loud music and chattering in the crowd. “No, I was saying, can I buy you a drink.” She repeats again with more clarity, half shouting and half-whispering in the other woman’s ear.

“No, I'm okay thank you.” Adena declines politely, smiling up at her. “I don’t really drink.” She offers.  
Kat shifts nervously in her seat, finding a reason to suddenly gulp down the rest of her drink, wincing at the slightly bitter taste. ‘of course, not dumbass’. Her inner voice yells.

“Thank you back there. You really didn’t have to do that.” She chimes.

“Honestly, it's fine. You looked a little panicked and I'm always happy to help a lady.” Adena smiles that smile of hers, eyes crinkling ever so slightly at the corners.

 

“So what do you do? Do you do music?” Kat makes a vague gesture to the room. She speaks in reference to Adena making mention that she was here supporting her friends.  
“Uh no. I’m a photographer.” Adena says close to her ear. They sit very close to one another, bodies angled towards each other in their little corner, tucked away in a part of the room with slightly better lighting. Kat notices the other woman hands folded in her lap, but her body language is otherwise open and inviting.

“Oh cool. You struck me as the creative type.” The comment comes off-handedly. Adena’s lips press together in a line. Kat’s confidence wanes a little. “What is that supposed to mean?.” The question comes with the beginnings of a smile at the comer of Adena’s mouth.

“Oh no I didn’t mean… it’s just you.”

“No, I'm just messing with you.”

Kat tilts her head, flashing a bright smile. ‘okay, so she’s funny too’.

“Your friends seem cool.” Kat nods toward where they were gathered.

“Yes. I mean even with all of the drama…”

“Drama?” Kat interjects.

“Lesbian drama.” That confirms it. Kat nods suddenly understanding. “I think maybe because it is so hard to make money from your art and for it to be sustainable if that makes sense. And being queer artists and making art you need a community; being connected to people who are in the same kind of industry...”

“And making your own opportunities.” Kat supplies.

“Yes. Exactly. And what is that you do?” – ugh, that accent. There’s a rhythmic lilt in the way she talks. A mix of accents. Something European definitely and something else.

“I am the director of social media at a women’s magazine.”  
Adena’s face scrunches a little, surprised at the suggestion of Kat being so far in her career at such a young age. Kat expects it at this point but smiles nonetheless.

“I’m sorry, but I have to ask, how old are you?”

“25.” She says with a bit of pomp in her shoulders. She shakes a little like a peacock displaying for a potential mate. “Yeah, it's been kind of wild you know. Heading up an entire department.”

“Hmm. I like that. A woman in charge.” Adena winks.

Her eyebrows raise at this. ‘flirting, she's flirting right’. There’s a lull in the conversation as Kat registers what’s happening. She could be a little oblivious when it came to these things. Guys were simpler creatures, she always could tell. And they all had their tells. Maybe it was the alcohol clouding her judgement of the situation. Three drinks she would usually be feeling a little looser, but Adena had this way of throwing her off. A usually confident Katherine Edison was blushing like a schoolgirl talking to her crush.  
She should have been able to tell from how close Adena sat next to her, how intensely she made eye contact. This woman was very… forward, in a way, Kat couldn’t help but find sexy. And she was sexy.

The hand on her knee brings her back to Adena who is talking now. Her eyes move to her mouth as she tunes almost everything else out. Her lips look soft a pillowy, full and well defined. She watches them move into a deep pout when she talks. Her mind wanders to kissing her. ‘oh wait she’s asking me something. Wait am I drunk?’ Her head suddenly feels light as she registers her buzz. ‘okay, I might be a little drunk’.

“I swear I'm not usually like this.” Adena stares. “I'm usually a lot cooler, but I don’t know there’s something about you.”

-

As if on cue, the music shuts off leaving a few seconds of dead air. Both their heads move toward the stage seeing another transition happening. The music comes back on and the vibe changes. The atmosphere is more of a party after that as the mix comes on. People seem to dance with more exuberance.

“Dance with me.” She doesn’t leave any room for Kat to respond before she’s getting up, quickly and holding her hand out for Kat to take. Even in the little corner, she starts to groove a little to the music, waiting patiently for Kat to follow her. The other woman relents, sliding from their booth allowing herself to be pulled up; coming to stand in front of her. She leans up into her space, “Come on, I know you can move”, before leading her to an area that had become the dance floor. She checks over her shoulder every once in a while, to make sure the woman is still following behind her.

She lets Kat take the lead when they get to the dancefloor. She seems shy at first, but the beat kicks in and she relaxes a little. She watches the woman begin to sing along to a song that is unfamiliar to her but goes along anyway. They dance around each other; the beat is easy to keep up with. Adena can’t say she’s very familiar with this type of music but manages to keep up with Kat. The other woman has an easy natural rhythm falling in line with the beat.

They dance a little longer, keeping a respectful distance. Adena doesn’t think on it too long before pulling Kat close. “Hey, do you want to get out of here.” She hopes the suggestion is clear in her tone.

 

Kat puts her phone into her pocket as they settled into a corner table in the small seating area of the restaurant. Sutton had sent her the wink emoji, followed by the tongue and raindrops in response to her message. She can hear the commotion from behind the counter, their order being relayed to the staff in the kitchen. Adena had led her to a little place that was open late a few blocks from her apartment and had the best ‘Arepas outside of Venezuela’. “So you’ve been to Venezuela?”

“Yeah, I’ve been all over really. South America is …..”. She continues on and Kat is frankly quite taken with this woman. She is happy to listen to her talk about her travels, of all the things she had photographed. It's an excitement she doesn’t have in her own life. Adventure, a freedom she doesn’t feel in her 9 – 5. She's expressive, talking with her hands, measured in the way she speaks. ‘French’ that’s what she can hear.

Their food arrives right after, the server placing a large tray with an assortment of things wrapped in soft buns. It all looks so good she doesn’t know where to start. She let Adena take the lead ordering so wasn’t quite sure what to make of all of it. Kat decides to just dive in, taking a big bite, noting the way Adena looks at her expectantly. “Good, right?”

Wanting to be polite and not talk with her mouth full, Kat nods earnestly. “I’ve never had these, but they’re so good”. Adena turns to her with questions: ‘Tell me about your work’; ‘where are you from’, ‘are you close with your family’ in between explaining to Kat what she had ordered for them. Kat takes time answering, relaxing at how at ease Adena makes her feel. Time seems to tick by whilst they’re there talking. ‘Connecticut.’ ‘Pretty close, I'm an only child.’ ‘Work is always a new challenge’.

-

They walk in step the few blocks it takes to get to Adena’s building. “I mean it's always good, but when it’s good, it's sooooo good. I can’t believe you’ve never tried it.”

“Maybe you could show me when I'm back in the city.” Adena stops their walking, teetering on her heels. “Well, this is me.” She nods toward the building. Kat slows to a stop opposite her, mirroring her. “Uh, do you want to come in?”

“Yeah. I mean sure.”

-

Kat watches Adena walk through the main area toward the kitchen. She takes a moment to look around. There’s a spacious main living area, the bedroom separated from the couch and living area by a divider. The room is decorated with little trinkets and Knick knacks, a little cluttered but overall tidy. Kat notices the well-made bed at the end of the room and a printer set up to the left of it. Another corner has what Kat can recognise as lighting equipment.

There is a modern kitchenette and various pieces of art around the room; a large abstract portrait of a feminine presenting figure nude in a busy background; there are a lot more photos, however. A lot of them framed and mounted on the wall. There’s one in particular toward the bedroom area, of a bustling street. The date on the picture is confirmed by the old model cars, old-style shop fronts. 1995. She can’t quite place where the photo is taken, but the intricate script on the road signs gives her the idea it might be somewhere in the middle east.

“That is Tehran, in the summer of 1995,” Adena says from behind her. She would have been surprised had she not heard Adena walking up behind her. “I was 6 and out with my father, I think, and he always held my hand very firmly because I always wanted to run off and look at things. It was really warm that day, a dry heat. He had his camera because he always had a camera. He showed me how to take a picture. ‘Get everything in the frame, and just press here” She muses wistfully.

“It's really beautiful.” Kat offers, turning from the picture to Adena.

“Thank you.” They don’t say much more on that but it’s a nice moment, sharing something so small yet so intimate. There’s a lightness to it. Kat finds herself wanting to ask about Adena’s family. Did she still talk to her parents? She files that away for a later time.

-

“Water.” Adena offers her glass as she sits next to her on the sofa. There’s movement as she shuffles closer to her, settling into the plush cushions. “Thank you.” She takes the offered glass, taking a long sip.

“So tell me about yourself, Kat Edison.” Her name sounds different in Adena’s mouth. Something so simple as her saying her name has her shook.

“I'm not sure there’s much to tell.”

“Humour me.”

“Okay. Um. Kat is short for Katherine, but nobody calls me Katherine, not even my grandma. I work at Scarlet magazine with my two best friends. My parents are therapists and I have named and talked to all of the plants in my apartment.” Kat says in all seriousness.

“You use humour to hide your true emotions.” There’s a feeling of being exposed when someone sees right through you. She knew it about herself but this woman she had known for all of 4 hours had seen it too. “I asked you about yourself and you deflected.”

“I guess I don’t like talking about myself.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” Kat shrugs. Part of her hopes they will drop the subject completely. The other part of her is on the edge of telling this woman everything. ‘My parents are overbearing and I’m emotionally stunted.”

-

Adena sits with her legs folded under her on the couch. Her scarf hangs loosely around her neck from having taken it off when they settled down together. She takes a moment to unpin her hair, shaking it free as it falls just below her shoulders.  
“Can I ask you a personal question?” Kat asks a little sheepishly. She watches her pause for a minute, her mouth opening and closing as she figures the best way to ask. “How come you still wear a hijab, I mean isn’t it kind of contradictory?”

“I choose to wear the hijab, it does not oppress me, but liberates me from societies expectations of what a woman should look like.” Feminine. Modest. “It’s a choice.”  
Her relationship with her faith was complicated. Growing up if felt like there was little room for her to be all of the things she was. As an adult she had reconciled that the two things didn’t have to be in contention, she could live her most authentically and feel at peace with herself. In most cases, Adena would not entertain justifying herself, but she could tell Kat’s intentions were good. Kat had her doing a lot of things she didn’t usually do. Being here in her apartment late, Adena knew she was in dangerous waters. Her thoughts momentarily go to her what waited for her in four days time in Paris. The last time she had felt this way so quickly about someone she had just met, she ended up in a three-year relationship.

-

“Do you ever wonder what your life would look like if you had stayed?” They’re comfortable getting into the deep questions. Kat has a very easy-going manner about her, an openness in her eyes.

“I left when I was still pretty young, leaving was an easy decision.”

“How old were you when you left home.”

“17.” Kat looks surprised. At 17 she wasn’t a fully realised person yet, but to leave the home you had known your whole life to go out alone into the world. “I remember just knowing I couldn’t stay. Thinking about it, I don’t know what my life would look like. Of all of my cousins, at 29, I'm pretty much the only one who isn’t married yet. And my parents are cool, for the most part, but I think even they are still waiting for the proverbial ‘other shoe’ to drop.”

Kat sits patiently opposite her. “I know it’s not going to happen, and my mother has all but accepted at this point. I don’t know, I have always felt like I wouldn’t be able to have the life that I wanted. For a while, I thought I could just settle. I’d be married, have children and never speak aloud the things I was feeling. I would never be happy, but it would be right because I was doing what was expected of me.”

She notes the way Kat frowns hearing this. “Did you always know you were gay?”

“Yes. Pretty much as far back as I can remember. I knew I did not like boys, at all.” They both chuckle, the tension subsiding for a moment. “There was this girl, Nazanin. She was the daughter of one of my father’s friends. She always used to come around. We would spend hours in the summer in my room. Best friends. I just remember thinking about her all the time. And I liked her so much. So much that it made me angry. Irrationally. All I knew is that I wanted to be close to her. But at the time I didn’t understand what I was feeling, and I pushed her away. Long story short, she is now married to my cousin. “

“Wow, that’s rough.”

“I’m not in that place anymore. I miss it. Iran. Sometimes. Mostly my family but I can’t go back. To visit yes, but not to live.

-

“What about you, how do identify if you don’t mind me asking?”

Kats face folds in thought for a moment. “I don’t think I really label myself. I’ve always liked who I liked. And when I told my parents I also like girls, it wasn’t a big deal. I guess I would say that I'm bi.” It's the word that felt the most comfortable and most honest to how she felt. “Yes, I am bisexual.”

“Kat, you don’t have to justify yourself to me, ever.”

That puts her at ease. Being queer and just taking up space had been a mixed bag for Kat. In some respects, she loved the sense of community but sometimes there were people that made her feel like she didn’t belong in those safe queer spaces.

-  
Getting to know someone is always the best part. The quirks and idiosyncrasies. Kat is averse to being vulnerable. She recoils when Adena asks her the probing question. It's being naked when the truth comes out. “Do you think you could fall in love? With the right person.”

“I don’t know.”

Adena pulls her tablet off the coffee table. She sets it on her lap and goes to the Youtube app. “I want to show you something.” The video buffers a second as she turns the screen toward Kat. A younger Eartha Kitt sits, being interviewed.

‘Falling in love for the right reasons. Falling in love for the right purpose. Falling in love.’ ‘ Yes, I fall in love with myself and I want someone to share it with me.

There’s a profoundness in the statement.

“That’s how I feel about love. Call me romantic but there are so many things I want to share. I want to share me.”

-

“I like talking to you.” Kat starts. “No genuinely. There aren’t a lot of people I talk to who get it. My friends are cool but they don’t always understand you know. I exist in all of these different intersections and it's like I have to choose. Everyone is like ‘one at a time Kat’. Black, queer, biracial, a woman. All at once. All-encompassing parts of her identity. “My experience is my own but I'm always like in the in-between having to fit myself to where I’m at in a particular moment you know.”

“When do you feel the most like yourself?”

A long pause follows. How does one even begin to answer that question? “I don’t know if I ever do?”

-

“Can I kiss you?”. She registers the other woman nodding.

With her lips parted Kat leans in, slowly. Partly teasing but in the same giving her an out. The anticipation has her senses heightened. Their lips press together. “Was that okay?” Kat asks with her eyes still closed, close to Adena’s face. “mhmm.” And that’s all the encouragement she needs, leaning in again to capture Adena’s lips with her own. Hands come up to cup her jaw, Adena now taking control. Her lips are leading as their heads move in a little dance, positions shifting each time. Kat’s tentative hands tighten on the other woman’s hips, pulling herself forward until they are flush against each other. She pulls herself back to gauge Adena’s reaction, who in turn responds, smiling before her eyes closed and she leans back into Kat, her own hands linking behind Kats' neck to pull her in closer.

-

Hands at her shoulder help her shrug off her jacket, leaving it somewhere behind her on the couch. There’s a change in balance when Adena leans back into the couch, pulling Kat on top of her. Her hands rest at either side not wanting to put all of her weight on the other woman. She feels the hands at the back of her neck pulling her in closer as Adena’s tongue grazes her lower lip. Kat can’t help but collapse a little onto her, grinding down as their tongues meet. There’s a sweetness there, something so uniquely Adena.  
“Wait, wait, wait.” It comes out so fast, that Kat sits up in a panic, cheeks flushed. “You’ve been drinking, and I don’t want you to regret this if it's not what you want.”

“I want this. I want you, okay. I'm good, I promise.” She leans down once again, bringing their faces closer.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now more kissing please, less talking” Kat punctuates this with firm kisses on the column of her neck, which earns her a moan from the woman below her.

Kat is markedly uncoordinated as she sits back on her calves, trying and failing to remove Adena’s jeans. The other woman tries to help, shimmying her hips.  
In between giggles, Adena takes over, removing her socks and jeans together.

-

Kat manages to pull Adena’s blouse the rest of the way up and over her head, her hands still trembling. She notices the soft swell of Adena’s tummy and thinks of placing kisses there. How thick hair falls a little above her smooth shoulders, framing her face just so. Kat’s gaze lingers on the round curve of her breasts in her balconette bra. She is all things soft and feminine. She can feel Adena’s wetness against her. In a bold move, Adena grabs her hand from her hip, feathering kisses over her fingers before taking two digits into her mouth. She maintains eye contact with Kat as she caresses them with her tongue. Kat’s eyes can only follow, struck by how erotic it all is when she brings her hand between her legs, right where she wants her. She feels Adena’s breath near her ear where folds into her neck. ‘Touch me’

-  
Adena climaxes hard, going completely rigid before relaxing in Kat’s arms. All that can be heard in her room is their heavy breathing. The hand between her legs continues to stroke her folds gently, sending sharp sensations up her spine. She grips Kat even tighter to her chest. Kat takes that as a cue to take her nipple into her mouth. She nips and sucks at the soft flesh as Adena rides out the aftershocks of her orgasm. She comes to, wiping the perspiration on her forehead. “You’re really good at that.” She breathes, placing a kiss to Kat’s forehead. “Yeah?” Kat says nestled in her chest.  
“Yes, so good.”

They lay together, Kat listening to Adena’s heartbeat in an intimate embrace.

-  
“How many tattoos do you have.” They’re laying together when Kats' hand traces the neat script on her ribs. They’re all small, some older than others but all very Adena.

“Nine in total.”

“Why the tattoos?”

“A lot of them I got when I was younger. The keyhole here was the first one” She says pointing to her wrist. It wasn’t rebellion so much as she had gone with what she wanted at the time. “I have one on my back, and on my neck. The look on my mother’s face when she saw this one “. Adena lets out a laugh. “I’ve never seen her so angry. But now some of them she thinks are quite pretty.”

“What about this one?” Kat leans in to kiss her shoulder, where she was pointing.

“I was dating a poet and I wanted her work on me. I don’t regret it now though. It’s nice to look at it and remember.

-

Kat trails behind her to the kitchen, admiring the view. Adena pulls the water filter from the fridge before opening her cupboard. She has to stand on her tiptoes to reach for two glasses. A hand at her hip and Kat is leaning over her, grabbing them for her.

Kat feels herself sobering as she watches Adena potter around the kitchen, reheating leftovers for them to eat. Being in a bed they had worked up quite the appetite – for food, get your head out of the gutter. There’s something very domestic about standing in Adena’s kitchen, wearing a T-shirt she had loaned her, watching her prepare them something to eat.

They sit at the small dining table, eating interrupted every so often by polite conversation. “I was a weird kid. I played hide and seek at home but I wouldn’t tell my parents I was playing and it would be hours later and my dad would find me asleep under the dining room table.

-

“I went to a tiny private school in Connecticut. I had three friends. It was me, this girl Amber, the only other black girl in my grade and my two cousins. But we only hung out because we were related.” There were things about growing up she had only realised in adulthood that she had internalised. Growing up had been weird. Being an only child with parents who worked all the time. Feeling such immense pressure to succeed. “I did the whole ivy league thing.” She shrugs off the little humble brag. “I only feel like recently I'm getting to know who Kat Edison is.” She remembers being a lot taller than the other girls after one summer when she had a growth spurt, shooting up 5 inches. All the teenagers were awkward but she did it with finesse. Long limbs and braces for three years.

Adena hears Kat in all of the things she doesn’t say. She avoids talking about things that are uncomfortable, but it serves to make Adena all the more curious about her. There was way more there under the surface.

-

Adena plays at the waistband of Kat’s underwear, tracing gently at the sensitive skin and smiling when utters ‘that’s ticklish’. She continues on, placing kisses all over Kat as she makes her descent.

Kat holds her breath realising Adena’s intention. She cups behind her head after one particular nip in a sensitive area soon soothed by Adena’s tongue and a soft kiss before she moves on further down, pausing to get comfortable. She lifts her hips up, helping Adena remove her underwear. Kat can feel how wet she is. It's at the forefront of her mind when Adena starts kissing and sucking at the skin on her thighs. Her movements are slow and drawn out as she squeezes and kneads the flesh under her hands.  
Kat’s legs part wider, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Her arousal is quite obvious, and she relaxes a little more into the bed as Adena leans in closer.

A broad stroke comes at the juncture of her thighs followed by a wet kiss. Soft hands move quickly tugging her hips closer, moving her down the bed. Adena’s energy is deceptively dominant. Soft-spoken and gentle as she is. She’s in control and all Kat can do is lay back and let her have at it. a woman who is slow and measured in everything she does glides more than you can say she walks, elegance personified transformed. There’s a certainty in her touches. Firmness in the way she breathes in Kat’s ear ‘spread your legs’.

-  
She doesn’t stir when Adena flops down next to her, wiping at her mouth. A satisfied smile on her face

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> To Kadena - "And with my best, my very best, I set you free"


End file.
